Humidifier



H. F. REID. HUMIDIHER. APPLICATION FILED MAH.20| i919.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.4

Inventor HARRY F. REID, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

HUMIDIFIER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apl. 13, 1920.

Application filed March 20, 1919. Serial No. 283,757.

To alla/17mm t may concern Be it known that I, HARRY F. Ranura citizen of the United States, resi-ding at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Humidifiers, of which the following is a specication. y

My invention relates to humidifiers for use in connection with steam or hot water radiators, and an object is to provide efficient means for supplying moisture to the air in rooms containing. radiators. Special objects are to provide a construction of humiditierwhich may be conveniently and economically manufactured, which may be readily installed in place upon a radiator, which will insure the maximum evaporation of waterfroml the humidifier, and which may be veasily and expeditiously refilled when the water becomes evaporated.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear in connection with the detailed description, and the novel features embodied in my inventive idea will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate vthe application of my invention in one form- Figure 1 is a top plan view of my humidifier with the cover removed. ,Fig 2 is a view in side elevation showing the humidier in position on aradiator. Fig. 3 is also a view in side elevation showing that the humidier may be madel of any length desired and may extend clear to the ends of the radiator. Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 1 and showing the cover in place. Fig. 5 is a view in cross-section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the open mesh fabric which I may employ.

Referring to the particular construction illustrated in the drawings, it will be seen that I provide a water receptacle 10 the central portion of which is open so as to formtwo trough-like side portions 12 and 14 which are connected at their ends referably by portions 16 and 18 in the orm of troughs which are narrower than the trough-like portions 12 and 14. On account of all of the trough-like portions being intercommunicating the receptacle may be readily filled with water in one operation. The trough-like portions in effect constitute an endless trough. The inner wall of th the cover.

trough is preferably inclined inwardly in an upward direction, as best shown in Fig.

4, lto aid in. causing an increased flow of the heated airthrough the central portion of the device. The lower edges of the inner walls are adapted to rest upon the top of a steam or hot water radiator 20, as best shown in Fig. 4, and as shown in Fig. 1 to the top edges of thesewalls is secured a wire mesh screen 22 over which is adapted to be placed an open mesh fabric 24 having extended edge portions 26, 28, 30 and 32 which are intended to extend respectively into the trouoh portions 16, 12, 18 and 14. As shown in Fig. 4, the wire screen 22 may be omitted in which case the open mesh fabric will -rest upon the upper edges of the inner wallsl of thereceptacle. is preferably provided for my humidifier, this cover havingl an open central portion corresponding to the open central portion of the receptacle, and this open portion of the cover is provided with a wire mesh screen 36 secured to the edge portions of In order to securely hold the receptacle in positionupon the radiator I may provide the inner wall of the trough,

12 with knobs 38 and the outer wall of the trough 14 with knobs 40, as shown in Fig. 4. Wires or other flexible members 42 attached to the knobs 38 are passed rearwardly under the top longitudinal member 44 of the radiator and are then secured to the knobs 40 -at the rear where they are out ofthe way.

The operation and advantages of my invention willbe obvious from the foregoing description. A particular feature of advantage is'the fact that the receptacle has a central opening entirely surrounded by water, this opening being directly above the top of the, radiator, where the upward current of heated air is greatest. The moisture which is drawn up by capillary attraction through the fabric from the troughs at all sides is thus quickly evaporated and is replaced by moisture which is continually being drawn up by the fabric. By actual tests I have demonstrated that this arrangement will evaporate a much greater amount of water in a given time than other arrangements which I have tried. The open mesh fabric draws up the water very readily and at the same time does not materially obstruct the free passage of heated air through it. The water troughs are protect- A cover 34 ed by the solid edges of the cover, and the moist fabric lying substantially horizontal is protected by the wire screen which extends over the open central space of the cover. On account of this construction, articles are prevented from dropping into the water troughs while articles o any size are prevented from coming' into contact with the moist fabric. The receptacle and the solid portion of the cover may be conveniently and expeditiously shaped from sheet metal and -the wire screen may be readily secured in place b soldering or any other suitable manner. he inwardly-sloping inner walls of the receptacle aid in directing the heated air upwardly through the horizontal portion of the open mesh fabric. Upon removing the cover the receptacle may be expeditiously refilled with water.

I claim:

l. A humidifier comprising an endless trough adapted to rest upon the top of a radiator so that the inner wall of said trough surrounds an open space above the radiator, and an open mesh fabric adapted to extend over said inner wall whereby said fabric is spaced above 'the top of the radiator, the edges of said fabric when the latter is in place extending down into said trough.

A humidifier comprising an endless trough adapted to rest upon the top of a radiator so that the inner wall of said trough surrounds an open space above the radiator, an open mesh fabric adapted to extend over said inner Wall whereby said fabric is spaced above the top of the radiator, the edges of said fabric when the latter is in place extending down into said trough, and an open center cover for said trough, said cover having solid marginal portions for extending over said trough.

3. A humidifier comprising an endless trough adapted to rest upon the top of a radiator so that the inner wall of said trough 'surrounds an openspace above the radiator, an open mesh fabric adapted to extend over said inner wall whereby said fabric is spaced above the top of the radiator, the edges of said fabric when the latter is in place extending down into said trough, an open center cover for said trough, said cover having solidmarginal portions for extending over said trough, and an open Work screen secured to said marginal `portions so as to extend over said open center.

4. A humidifier comprising an endless trough adapted to rest' upon the top of a radiator so that the inner wall of said trough surrounds an open space above the radiator, an open mesh fabric adapted to extend over said inner wall whereby said fabric is spaced above the top of the radiator, the edges of said fabric when the latter is in place extending down,into said trough, and means for securing said trough to the radiator.

5. A humidifier comprising an endless trough adapted to rest upon the top of a radiator so that the inner wall of said trough surrounds an open space above the radiator, an open mesh fabric adapted to extend over said inner wall whereby said fabric is spaced above the top of the radiator, the edges of said fabric when the latter is in place extending down into said trough, fastening devices on the inner wall of said trough, fastening devices on the outer wall of said trough, and fiexible means adapted to pass from one set of fastenin devices under a longitudinal member of t e radiator to the other set of fastening devices.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature. l

HARRY F. REID. 

